It's You
by JazaraRose
Summary: Inuyasha and Kagome have a fight that puts her in the hospital and Inuyasha is struggling to hold onto his faith in their relationship, but some wounds never heal. They're just scars that continue to bleed. Rated T for language.


**It's You**

* * *

It's two in the morning when a porcelain dish connects with the wall. The dish shatters and pearl colored shards are scattered across the floor. There's yelling, screaming, tears. More dishes collide with the wall.

"Are you fucking insane?!" The man ducks once more, a pot hits the wall and leaves a dent behind. He never meant for her to find out, at least not like this. He'd been unhappy for awhile, always planning when he'd leave and how he'd tell her it was over. It was supposed to be over dinner, so he could butter her up before letting her down. It was supposed to be in a public place, so he could avoid being assaulted like he was now.

"Ten years of my life!" Another pot flies through the room, another dent is left in the wall. "Ten years I spent loving you, and for what? To find out that you've never loved me? That after all this time you prefer someone else?"

She's running out of dishes to throw, but she's still seething. Her skin is hot and her blood is boiling inside her veins. Half the kitchen is scattered across the living room floor and he's managed to dodge every projectile that's come his way. She hasn't been able to hurt him like he's hurt her and it makes the storm inside her heart rage all the more. She wants to kill him, and contemplates throwing the nice steak knives his mother got them for christmas last year, but she decides that jail isn't worth it. She settles for the wine glasses they got as a wedding gift, not the cheap ones they use regularly, but the crystal ones that they save for special occasions.

"Kagome please-" he yelps when he barely misses a well aimed wine glass. One more second and he would've been a goner.

"Fuck you!" She grabs a ratty old mixing bowl from under the counter, they should've thrown it away years ago but Kagome is sentimental and hoards anything with a memory attached to it. Her first reaction is to add it to the pile of broken items that she'd already thrown across the room, but an old memory plays in her head. It's valentine's day and Inuyasha and her are in the first apartment they ever shared together. The kitchen is covered in flour because Inuyasha thought it'd be funny to flick some in her face while they were baking cookies, and Kagome is a firm believer in an eye for an eye. She remembers rolling on the floor with him laughing until their stomachs hurt and there were tears in their eyes. She sinks to her knees, clutching the ratty old bowl like it's a lifeline. More memories flood her mind and soon she's full on ugly crying, hiccuping and snotting.

She feels his hand land softly on her shoulder and as much as she wants to shake him off she doesn't. She relishes in the feel of him, like the addict she is, she falls into his embrace when his arms come around her gently. She cries harder if that's even possible. How weak is she? How weak is she to seek comfort from the man who ripped her heart to shreds with little regard for where the pieces would land?

"You're such a bastard," she sobs, clutching the front of his shirt, "I hate you."

"I know."

She looks up at him and she sees the regret in his eyes. She can't tell if he's sorry because he hurt her or sorry because he got caught, but either way she doesn't know if forgiveness is on the table.

"What's wrong with me?" The question startles him and before he can think to respond, Kagome elaborates. "What does she have that I don't? Did she love you better than me? Was she more exciting than me? Was the sex with her better?"

Her pain is tangible and Inuyasha chokes on his words. He wants to say yes to all of the above, thinks it'd be easier to point out all her flaws and be done with it, but he can't. The truth is there's nothing wrong with Kagome. She's smart and kind and beautiful and any man would be lucky to have her, but there's something missing in their relationship. He can't put his finger on it and the fact that he can't even justify cheating on her to himself makes his insides twist.

It's been almost a minute and he still hasn't replied to her questions, so she shoves him aside. He isn't expecting the sudden force and lands on his backside. Kagome stomps over him and makes her way into the room they once shared. She goes into the closest and grabs the largest suitcase she can find. Haphazardly she tosses in items, panties, shirts, jeans, and when the suitcase is full to the brim she struggles to zip it shut. She goes into the bathroom and grabs her toothbrush, some shampoo and her blow dyer. She hesitates before grabbing the blow dyer because Inuyasha got it for her birthday last year. It crosses her mind to slam it on the tile floor, but she thinks there's been enough destruction in the house for one night. Plus, she really likes the blow dryer and knows she'd be hard pressed to find another one that tames her wavy locks as well as this one does.

Inuyasha is sitting at the dining room table with his head in his hands when she walks past. His shoulders are slumped and he looks miserable. The petty part of her rejoices in his anguish, it's the least of what he deserves, but she keeps her head held high as she reaches for the door knob. She's done crying for the time being. She'll release the rest of her sorrow when she gets to Sango's.

"You don't have to leave." He stands and the chair scrapes across the floor. "We could talk, or I could leave instead."

"I have nothing to say to you." She twists the metal in her hand and the bitter cold outside bites her face as she opens the front door. The snow is coming down in droves and it's probably not smart to be driving at the moment, but she can't stay. Not when every wall is covered in a memory of their lives together and their sheets smell like his body wash.

"Kagome, I'm so sorry." His voice is pleading and she knows he means it. She should probably be rational, stay at the house and go to Sango's in the morning. She could make him sleep on the couch while she gets their king bed to herself, but being the bigger person doesn't sound as good as making him squirm. There was a reason the high road was the one less traveled.

"Go fuck yourself." The door slams and Inuyasha is left alone, the sound of her car starting and pulling out of the driveway sounds a million miles away. Something tells him to go after her, yet he stays rooted to his spot in the dining room. He decides that she just needs some space, time to cool off. He knows her like the back of his hand and he's 99% sure she's headed to Sango's. He heads to the bedroom with a plan to call Sango in the morning and make sure Kagome made it in alright. After that he'll give her all the space and time that she needs. When Kagome's had enough time to settle her emotions they'll talk again and see where it goes from there.

Inuyasha settles into bed and the picture on the bedside table stops him from hitting the switch on the lamp. It's a picture of him and Kagome and it's one of his favorites. He, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango had taken an impromptu trip to the beach a couple years ago. They'd all called in sick to work and spent the day getting drunk on the beach like a couple of teenagers playing hooky from school. The picture showed Kagome being hoisted over his shoulder, her eyes shining with mirth and her smile so big it threatened to spilt her face in half. Inuyasha was peering over his shoulder in the photo, a devilish smirk on his face and a twinkle in his eye as he trudged through the sand with plans to unceremoniously dump Kagome into the waves.

The memory tuggs on his heart strings and he feels like a bastard. Would Kagome ever look this happy again? Or would his betrayal haunt her forever, taking away a piece of her that she would never get back? Setting the picture back in it's place he turns off the beside lamp, tossing and turning until he finally falls into a restless sleep.

* * *

Inuyasha groans as his phone rings mercilessly on the bedside table. After thirty seconds the incessant sound stops and there's peace once more. He rolls over onto his stomach and just as he gets comfortable again, another round of ringing starts. He sits up and rubs his face as he presses the button to answer the call.

"Hello?" His voice is rough from sleep and he clears his throat to warm up his vocal cords. There's a sniffle on the other line and his annoyance immediately switches to concern. "Kagome? Is that you? Is everything okay?" There's still no response and he calls out to Kagome again, his tone borderline frantic.

"Inuyasha." He pauses when he realizes the voice on the phone doesn't belong to his wife.

"Sango? What's up with you? Did Kagome make it your house alright last night?" He moves from the bed and through the house into the kitchen. The living room is still a mess, but at least Kagome hadn't thought to toss the coffee pot at him last night. The time on the stove reads seven in the morning and he wonders what in the world would provoke Sango to call him relentlessly at such an ungodly hour, especially considering the events of the night before.

"Inuyasha, Kagome...she never made it to my place." His blood runs cold at her soft spoken words and his mind slows to a crawl. He curses when the hot coffee he'd been pouring overflows out of his mug and onto his hand.

"What do you mean? Where is she then?!"

"There was an accident, come to Shikon General. I'm not family so they can't tell me much...it's not looking good Inuyasha." Sango chokes on her words and he can tell she's crying again. Coffee long forgotten he's halfway out the door when he realizes he still needs to put pants on. He makes it to the hospital in record time, and when he arrives Sango and Miroku are there. They're both still in their pajamas and looking worse for wear.

Miroku's hair is free from it's usual rat tail at the nape of his neck. Instead it's loose and barely reaching his shoulders. The shadow's under his eyes are dark and his skin is pale. Sango's hair is in a messy bun, and her eyes are red and swollen. She's been crying a lot.

Sango runs over to Inuyasha and he thinks she's coming in for a hug, but instead she delivers a hard slap across his face. His head turns to the side from the force of her blow and the sound of skin to skin contact rings out across the hallway. Miroku's at Sango's side in an instant, holding her back because she looks ready to go for round two. Inuyasha rubs the side of his face to try and soothe the sting. He takes a deep breath to settle his temper and has to remember that Sango is probably just high strung from worrying about Kagome.

"Bastard!" She spits out at him. He can assume she knows about the cheating, Kagome probably called her last night on the way to her house. His stomach turns at the thought of Kagome lying broken in one of the nearby hospital beds, hooked up to machines and barely clinging to life. He looks around in search for a doctor. Who did you have to talk to get some answers in this place?

"Excuse me, are you Inuyasha Takahashi?" Inuyasha turns around to be greeted by a young man with a gentle face. He's wearing scrubs and a blue gown, a surgical mask pulled away from his face and resting under his chin.

"Yeah that's me." He extends his arm to shake the other man's hand, who introduces himself as Suikostu Komastsu, the doctor assigned to Kagome's care. The doctor reveals that Kagome was brought into the ER around four that morning after being t-boned by a semi truck. She was hit on the driver's side after blowing through a red light. Inuyasha sits down as the doctor runs through the long list of things wrong with Kagome, his knees threatening to give out if the list doesn't end soon. The force of the truck sent her tiny car rolling before a light pole finally brought the vehicle to a stop.

She sustained a broken femur, several fractured ribs, a punctured lung, and a frontal skull fracture. The doctor explained that while surgery had went well their main concern at this point was the swelling in her brain. If they couldn't control it, permeant brain damage was a likely possibility. They'd put her in a medically induced coma for the time being and would hope to know more soon in the next few days. Her breathing was being assisted with the use of a ventilator.

Inuyasha lets his head fall into his hands as he releases a shuddering breath. Suddenly he feels heavy, like the weight of world had been taken and dumped onto his shoulders. He's only sad for a moment before there's suddenly a hot rage boiling inside him. His skin is heating from the inside out and his breathing becomes labored. He's up out his chair and pacing in the tiny hallway. His fingers are gripping his hair, threatening to rip the strands out from the roots. His vision is swimming and he doesn't know what to do, can't think. There's too many voices, too many emotions, so he snarls and sends his fists through the wall next to him. A nearby nurse sees the violent display and calls for security, they're there in a matter of minutes but the display in front of them is anything but violent.

The pain in his hand has brought Inuyasha back to reality and he drops to knees as the last of his energy leaves him. His shoulders are shaking and he hates the fact that he's crying and there are people around to witness. There's a weight on his back and the brown hair falling around his shoulders lets him know that it's Sango. Her arms are locked around his neck and his grabs onto her hands for dear life. His grip is starting to turn Sango's fingers purple, but she doesn't complain. She continues to hold him as they cry together and Inuyasha's pitiful pleas only break her heart all the more.

"I shouldn't have let her leave. I upset her, hurt her, and I let her leave. Fuck!" He's not sure how long him and Sango stay on the floor, but soon Miroku is by their side and ushering them to some chairs opposite of where Inuyasha had put a hole in the wall.

"Fuck, I have to call her mother." That's a painful conversation Inuyasha knows he's not ready for. Miroku offers to call instead, but if anyone is going to be the bearer of bad news it should be him. He's her husband, the one her mother entrusted her daughter to, what kind of man would he be if he couldn't face her now? Inuyasha steps outside and twenty minutes later when he returns he's looking worse for wear.

Suikotsu returns and let's them know that they can see Kagome if they'd like. He recommends they be brief and only go in one at a time. Miroku and Sango try to usher him in first, but he tells them they can go on ahead. He needs to prepare himself, steel himself against thoughts of loosing her and fool himself into thinking that her injuries aren't anything a couple of bandaids and some TLC can't fix. Sango and Miroku are still visiting Kagome when her family arrive. Kagome's mother has blotchy eyes as she runs to him and takes him into her arms.

She's shaking and he closes his eyes to keep the tears at bay. She releases him and asks him how this happened. He spares her the gory details, telling her that him and Kagome had a fight and that the accident occurred while she was en route to Sango's place. He apologizes because this whole mess is his fault and he doesn't know any other way to fix it other than to beg for her forgiveness. Even her grandfather has tears in his eyes, and her brother Souta is also struggling to keep it together.

"No need to apologize Inuyasha, they're called accidents for a reason." Her smile is soft and watery and it makes Inuyasha want to crawl into a hole and die. "No one saw this coming, all we can do now is wait."

He nods at her and lets her know that the doctor okayed them for visits. He sends them in when Sango and Miroku emerge. He zones out for awhile and suddenly Ms. Higurashi is in his face and telling him that it's his turn to see her. His steps are slow as he drags his feet closer to her room. The room is cold when he walks in, the only sounds filling the air are that of her heart monitor and breathing machine. The wires and IVs attached to her make him cringe. She seems so fragile, with her leg casted and bruises littering her skin. He pulls up a chair next to her and doesn't get to say one word before he looses it. He's full on sobbing like a child and he wonders how many times a person can cry in a day before they run out of tears.

"I'm so sorry." His words are punctuated by hiccups as he struggles to catch his breath. He reaches for her hand lets his forehead rest in the crook of her elbow. He laces their fingers and suddenly every problem he thought he had seemed so insignificant. How many hours had it been since he'd been in bed with another woman, complaining of the monotony of his life and how boring his relationship had become. Now sitting here with Kagome holding on by a thread he'd give anything to go back to the routine they'd settled into.

"I don't care if you hate me or never wanna see me again. I don't care if you want to get divorced and take everything I own. I'd give it all to you and more, I just need you to wake up. Open your eyes Kagome and tell me how much of a bastard I am, I can take it." He turns his head to look at her face and watch the rise and fall of her chest.

"Please Kagome." There's no response, and even though he didn't expect one it still hurts. He goes to rest his head on her arm once more and before he knows it he's fast asleep. There's a persistent poking at his shoulder and he groans when he goes to sit up and his neck is stiff.

"Sorry sir, but visiting hours are over." Her voice is soft and her eyes are nervous. She's young, probably fresh out of college, and looks like she doesn't weigh a hundred pounds soaking wet. He wants to snarl at her, tell her to fuck off, but then he wonders what Kagome would say if he was rude to the girl for simply doing her job. Kagome's warm now from his body heat and he has a hard time finding the will to let go of her hand. The young nurse stands quietly while she watches his internal struggle and sighs to herself. She'd expected more of a fight after seeing him put a hole in the wall earlier that day. She felt bad for calling security on him when she witnessed him break down and sob into the arms of one of his friends. Even now he looked like a lost puppy, unsure of how to get by in the world without his owner.

"Hold on." Her voice startles him and when he turns to regard her, he's met with her retreating form. Minutes later she's back with a small cot, a pillow, and some blankets. He looks at her, more grateful than he knows how to express. She flashes him another shy smile and before she can leave for good he calls out to her.

"What's your name?"

"Oh, uh, I'm Rin."

"Thank you Rin." He says sincerely. She informs him that she'll be Kagome's nurse for the night and would be back to check on her in a few hours. She warns him that the doctors would be starting their rounds at 8am and if he didn't want to be banned from the hospital he should make himself scarce until after they were finished. Nodding his understanding Inuyasha settles into his bed beside Kagome. His phone lights up with the time, 9pm. All it took was fourteen hours for his world to be turned on it's axis and Inuyasha had never felt more drained in his life. With his alarm set and Kagome's hand nestled in his, he falls into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

At 7:30am Inuyasha is rudely awakened by his alarm. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he turns to Kagome, more disappointed than he should have been that nothing had changed about her condition while he slept. He kisses the back of Kagome's hand with promises to come back later and sit with her again. He rolls the cot out of the room and finds Rin sitting at the nurses station. He thanks her again and informs her that he's going home to shower and change.

"My shift is up in twenty minutes, but I'll be back this evening. I'm sure I'll be in charge of Kagome's care again."

It was close to ten in the morning when Inuyasha returned to the hospital. He was greeted by Sango, Miroku, and the rest of Kagome's family. And for the next few days Inuyasha settled into a routine. Everyday Inuyasha came to the hospital and sat with Kagome, reading to her, playing her favorite tv shows, and even playing her favorite music. No one could be sure if she could actually hear anything going on around her, but it made Inuyasha feel like he was doing more than just sitting on his ass. Every night Rin rolled in the single cot and he slept beside her, his alarm set for 7:30am so he could be up and out before the doctors discovered him.

He takes a leave of absence from work and calls Kagome's job to inform them of her accident. Soon Kagome's room is filled to the brim with bears and flowers and 'get well soon' cards from her coworkers. He's become a fixture in the hospital and most of the nurses on this floor know him by name. A couple of the doctors know him too and he's gotten especially close to Suikotsu. The guy had an air about him that just made you want to trust him. He was capable and confident, and a rock in these turbulent times for Inuyasha. There were few people in the world who could meet his attitude with a smile and over the last few days Suikotsu had gained his respect.

It'd been almost a week since the accident and everyday they were lowering the medication that kept Kagome in a coma. Though the swelling in her brain had gone down tremendously, there was no guarantee that she would wake up immediately after being weaned off the meds. Even so Inuyasha allowed his hope to grow. He could feel it in his bones. Everyday he got a little closer to seeing her smile, to hearing her voice, and it made his palms sweat.

Inuyasha sat at Kagome's bedside while Suikotsu checked her pupils, her vitals, and her monitors.

"Okay, as of today, she's completely off the sedation meds now. She's breathing on her own which is a very good sign, we'll be removing her breathing tube today."

"Do you think she'll be awake soon?"

"All signs point to yes, but we can never be sure. She's scheduled for a CT in a couple hours and we'll know more then."

Inuyasha shoots the doctor a hesitant nod and whispers, "thanks" as Dr. Komastsu heads out the door. He turns to Kagome and the smile on his face continues to grow. Her leg is still casted, but some of her bruises are starting to fade. Without the ventilator there's one less machine in the room, one less wire keeping her alive. Now she's fighting on her own strength and Inuyasha has the upmost faith in her. Kagome was a tough girl, always has been.

"Don't give up on me now wench," he says as he kisses her hair, "we've made it this far haven't we?"

There's a rush of noise and bodies start filling the room. Inuyasha explains to Kagome's family and their friends what Dr. Komastsu had explained to him. Sighs of hope and relief flood the room and Inuyasha is embraced by Ms. Higurashi. She pulls back and he almost panics at her tears, but she says they're happy tears.

"Our Kagome is a fighter isn't she?" Ms. Higurashi says proudly as she strokes her daughter's hair. The battle is far from over, but all in all this feels like a victory. Soon a nurse arrives and takes Kagome for her CT. They're back within an hour with news that the scan was clear. No bleeds or clots and the swelling is practically gone. It's a cause for celebration and so Miroku heads out to fetch everyone something to eat. They decide on udon, since it's Kagome's favorite, and soon the room is filled with the savory scent of broth and noodles. Visiting hours come to an end and everyone is ushered out of the room save for Inuyasha. Rin comes in with his usual bedding and he takes up residence at Kagome's side.

She's so close to waking up, so close to coming back to him. In all the chaos he hasn't thought about what he would say to her when she wakes. Should the first thing he does be to apologize? She could have some deficits from the swelling, what if she doesn't even remember being in the accident or the driving force that put her on the road in the first place? His head is swimming with what ifs and he decides that he'll cross the bridge when he gets to it. He settles into bed and let's the sound of Kagome's heart monitor lull him to sleep.

* * *

It's still dark in Kagome's hospital room when Inuyasha awakens. He realizes the sound of coughing is what stirred him, still half sleeping he reaches for Kagome's hand in the dark and gently rubs his thumb over the back of her hand to soothe her.

"Shh, go back to sleep Kagome, it's alright." He says giving her hand a soft squeeze. He gets a weak squeeze in response and suddenly he's sitting up right in his cot. Switching on the lamp next to Kagome's bed, the room is soon filled with a warm glow and his eyes connect with Kagome's.

"Holy shit." He doesn't mean to say that out loud, thought he said it in his head, but his brain is slowly shutting down. The only thing he can process is that Kagome is awake. Fuck, she's awake and staring at him. Her mouth is moving but he doesn't hear her words, because all he can focus on is that fact that she's fucking awake.

"Inu...yasha, water please." Her voice rough from disuse and in an instant he's on his feet. He uses the remote to move her bed so she's sitting up and helps her drink. She takes a couple gulps and sits back seemingly refreshed. He sets down the drink and now they're starting at each other. The air is heavy with words unsaid and neither know how to break the silence.

Inuyasha cracks first, tells her he's going to get the nurse and that he'll be right back. Minutes later he's back in the room with Rin in tow who's already sent a page to Suikotsu to update him on Kagome's status change.

"Hi Kagome, my name is Rin. It's good to see you awake, how are you feeling?" Kagome's looking around the room confused and slightly startled at her surroundings. Her monitor picks up speed and Inuyasha moves from his place behind Rin to sit next to Kagome. She moves over to make room for him and she visibly relaxes.

"You're in the hospital Kagome, do you remember why?" Rin says calmly. She watches as Kagome looks to Inuyasha and he gives her a nod to let her know that she can trust Rin.

"There was an accident. I remember bright lights and then nothing." Inuyasha squeezes her hand in reassurance and after a few more questions Kagome says that she's tired and has a headache. Kagome panics a little when Inuyasha gets up to leave, but he explains that he's just going to speak to Rin outside and that he'll be right back. It takes a few minutes for him to coax her into letting him go, but as soon as her head hits the pillow she's out like a light.

"So? Does everything seem okay with her? She remembered the accident and she knows me, that's a good sign right?" Inuyasha's fiddling with his fingers because he's nervous. All he's wanted for the last week was for her to wake up and to wake as the Kagome he's always known and loved, but now that the time has come he's scared. She remembered the accident, but does she remember their fight? She's been clinging to him since she opened her eyes, but is that because he's the only thing in her environment that she knows and is comfortable with?

How long does he have with her before everything goes to shit?

"So far she's great. There's no apparent deficits to her long term memory or speech and those are both very good signs. Dr. Komastsu will be here first thing in the morning to check on her and then we'll go from there." Rin gives him a reassuring smile and Inuyasha goes back into Kagome's room. Her voice calls out to him and he's a bit startled because he thought she went back to sleep while he was talking to Rin. She asks him how long she's been asleep and asks for details about the accident and about what's wrong with her. Inuyasha's not sure if he should be telling her anything until after Suikotsu has had a chance to evaluate her, but he's in no position to deny her. Kagome wants no stone left unturned so he hashes out all the gory details for her. He pauses halfway through the story, wondering if he should bring up the fight that was the catalyst for this entire disaster, but he refrains. He'll rip the bandaid off those wounds later. He feels drained after his impressive display of storytelling and so is Kagome. He can't sleep even though he wants to, there's too many thoughts in his head to silence, so he texts Miroku and Sango and Kagome's mother. It's 5am so he doesn't expect a response, but he's sure they'll be happy to wake up to some good news.

When Dr. Komastsu comes into Kagome's at 8 that morning he's less surprised than he should be that Inuyasha is already there. Kagome's bleary eyed and annoyed when the young doctor gently prods her awake.

"Come on Inuyasha," she whines, "I just got hit by a truck the least you can do is let me sleep." Inuyasha laughs, and when she opens her eyes she realizes that the handsome face in front of her does not belong to her husband. She sits up slowly and waits for the young stranger to introduce himself.

"I'm sorry to wake you Mrs. Takahashi, I'm sure you're quiet tired from all that you've been through."

"I would've thought the opposite. Have I really been in a coma for the last eight days?" While answering Kagome's questions and firing off some of his own, Dr. Komastsu preforms a quick neurological exam. He checks her vision, her hearing, her memory, and her reflexes. He's happy with the results and explains to Kagome that she can start seeing the physical therapist to help regain strength and the occupational therapist to assist with daily living activities.

Sango, Miroku, and Kagome's family all come by a few hours later and there's not a dry in the room. It's overwhelming to see Kagome awake and alive and almost exactly as she was before the accident. They only stay for an hour, because Kagome is easily fatigued. She apologizes to them for having to make them leave, but no one can really blame her or be upset. When news spreads that Kagome's on the road to recovery her room is once again filled to the brim with flowers and cards.

Two days later Kagome is up and walking, with the help of a walker. She takes frequent trips to the bathroom and to the nurses station. She's positive at this rate she'll make it to the elevator by the end of the week. Inuyasha is never far from her side and Kagome appreciates him for the amount of love and support he's showed her. It's cold and there's till a thick layer of snow covering the ground, but Kagome begs Inuyasha to take her outside.

"I need the fresh air Inuyasha, I need to see the sun. I'm sick of looking at all this awful wallpaper!" Inuyasha is always worried about her. He thinks he can protect her from everything, even herself. He doesn't want her to overdo it. She's giving him those sad puppy dog eyes he could never say no to, so he bundles her up and helps her into a wheelchair. He takes her out to the courtyard, even though with all the plants and trees dead there isn't much to look at. Kagome takes a deep breath and the smile on her face puts Inuyasha at ease. She tilts her head back to catch snowflakes on her tongue and laughs excitedly when she finally feels one melt on her taste buds. Her cheeks and nose are rosy from the cold and even though Inuyasha doesn't want to be a kill joy, he also doesn't want her to freeze.

"Alright wench you've had enough fresh air for today." He bends down to unlock her wheels and she's sending him the sad eyes again, but this time he finds the strength to ignore it.

"Can we do this again tomorrow?" She's giving him a hopeful look and he wants to smack himself. One look from her is all it takes to turn his insides into jelly.

"Yeah, sure." She's won and she knows it, so Inuyasha pretends not to notice the triumphant smirk adorning her face.

* * *

It's 10pm and Inuyasha is settled into his cot. He's flipping through channels and after his second time cycling through the hospital's basic cable, he settles on some gameshow he's never seen before. It's mind numbing enough, he hopes it puts him to sleep soon.

"I dreamt about you you know." Kagome's voice startles him, and his eyes move from the television to look at her. She's on her side facing him, a bit awkwardly since her broken leg needs to remain elevated. He's looking at her like she's grown two heads, so she explains what she means.

"When I was in the coma, I remember dreaming about you." She turns away from him and lays on her back, eyes looking toward the ceiling. "They were more like nightmares really."

"Kagome...I'm-" she turns her head and the tears in her eyes shut him up. They're running over nose and dripping onto her pillow, but she doesn't move to wipe them.

"I don't want to hear you apologize. In my dreams you'd always apologize right before you'd leave with her, some unnamed, no faced woman, whom I didn't know. You left me alone, alone in the darkness, but somewhere in my heart I knew you'd return. And you always did. You'd comfort me and I'd be pacified for the time being, but just as I knew you'd come back, I knew you'd leave again. Always with an apology coating your lips and that woman on your arm."

Inuyasha won't make eye contact with her and Kagome is kind of relieved. If his eyes were boring into hers she'd probably lose her nerve.

"I've always remembered. When I woke and saw you...I wanted to hate you. I wanted to scream at you and blame and kick you out, but when you looked at me my heart leapt into my throat and the only thing I could feel was an overwhelming sense of relief. You were here and you were real and in that moment that's all that mattered. I could've died Inuyasha. Sometimes I close my eyes and I can still see those blinding truck lights and all I can think is...what if I had died hating you?"

Inuyasha's head is still downcast and his knuckles are white from the force of his fingers gripping the sheets. Kagome takes a deep breath, because she's ready to burn an old bridge but if she wants to build a new one then she's gonna need some help.

"As much as those nightmares made me want to leave you behind, I knew I couldn't. I love you Inuyasha and I wasn't gonna die until I told you that one more time. Even if you decide you don't feel the same, I'd like for this accident to be our second chance. I feel like I've gotten a new lease on life and it's too short to spend the rest of it bitter and despising you. So look at me Inuyasha, look at me and tell me that you want this as bad as I do and that you're willing to fight for it."

Kagome moves from her bed and onto Inuyasha's, it's a struggle due to her leg but she finally makes it. She holds him and his arms come gently around her midsection. His face is buried in her hair and she feels her gown dampen with his tears. She rubs his back and runs her fingers through his hair. She's not sure how long they stay like that, but she doesn't mind.

He pulls away from her and his eyes are red and puffy. "I love you Kagome and I'll stay by your side for as long as you'll have me. It's you, Kagome, it's always been you." With her cheeks softly squished between his hands, Inuyasha leans in to give Kagome a kiss. When their lips met they both feel the broken parts of themselves begin to heal.

When Inuyasha wakes up in the morning Kagome is still laying in his arms. Her face is soft and content. He brushes her hair from her face and even though she's covered by several blankets, she's cold. A sudden bile rises in his throat and he chokes on it to keep himself from screaming. He checks her pulse and the strong, _thump, thump, thump,_ he should feel against his fingers is gone. Then he does scream. So loud that several nurses and doctors come rushing to Kagome's room. One nurse wants to call security, but Rin halts her. Inuyasha is still screaming and his voice is starting go raw. Why? Why would she leave him like this? He feels a hand on his shoulder and he's met with Rin's tearful gaze.

"How could she do this?" his voice breaks and he chokes on a sob. "We were getting past it, we were working toward something, why did she give up on me?"

"Oh Inuyasha..." Rin doesn't know what to say, doesn't know how to console him, but her heart hurts for him.

"Dammit Kagome." he curses softly. He lifts her into his arms and buries his face in her hair. Her scent had always been comforting, grounding him in times of turmoil. In the years that'd he'd known her she never changed her shampoo, green tea and jasmine was the scent that wafted gently into his nose. How long would it take for the scent of death to claim her? He thinks of last night, which seems so long ago but in reality it's only been hours, and Kagome's words come back to him.

 _I love you Inuyasha, I wasn't gonna die until I told you that one last time._

He feels his heart ripping to shreds and clutches Kagome tighter in his distress. "It's you Kagome," he whispers, "It'll only ever be you."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading, leave a review if you'd like. Sorry for any medical inaccuracies/inconsistencies, I'm not a medical professional.**

 **Jaz**


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